Can You Stop Nose Gear Shimmy?

by Dave McFarlane

"A Cessna nose wheel is supposed to shimmy."

"You can't really stop it."

"All the Pipers do it."

You have heard similar comments many times. My response is always the same question. Did it shimmy when it was new? Nose gear shimmy is destructive and not normal, and yes, it can be stopped. Never allow any amount nose gear shimmy to continue. The quicker you take action, the easier it will be to stop it. I would like to share with you our experience in solving this problem.